Kerala is enchanting; will visit again: Nepal envoy

Bharat Kumar Regmi, Charge d’Affaires, Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi says he is surprised by Kerala. “The greens of the state has stole my heart when I looked it from the flight,” said the Nepal envoy who is visiting Kerala for the first time. “If Kerala is blessed with green hillocks, Nepal is captivating because of its snow-capped mountains. And, the coconut trees in Kerala are a match to the tall pine trees in Nepal,” he compares both the countries and says both has unique features which attracts travellers. He had an interaction with the Chief Minister of the state, Pinarayi Vijayan at the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram. Regmi also addressed travel, tour and trade representatives on trade and investment opportunities between Nepal and Kerala at an interaction organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).

Could you please elaborate on the discussion held with Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan?

The chief minister has promised to share the expertise of the state in many fields. Kerala and Nepal have potential for collaboration in tourism, hydropower, food production, high-altitude sports and adventure tourism. The minister has agreed to send experts to replicate the Kerala model in the local areas of Nepal. He has also promised to visit Nepal very soon.

What do you feel about Kerala?

Though I couldn’t visit any of the popular destinations in Kerala because of the packed schedule, I can very well say that this land is very beautiful. I will definitely come back soon, to explore the place.

Could you please elaborate on the purpose of your visit?

The main purpose of my visit is to attract investors to Nepal. For investments, we need a stable government, which has not been there in Nepal until now. However, the democracy in Nepal is strong now and it is the right time to invest in the country.

(Considering the tourist arrivals, Nepal is not a big contributor. Only 2400 tourists from Nepal visited Kerala in 2017. However, Regmi has invited travellers from Kerala to visit the snow-caped mountains of Nepal. One of the interesting aspects is that Indians do not require a passport or visa to visit Nepal.)